as in labor
very hard or unpleasant work
after years of toil in a sweatshop, Kim was finally able to start her own dressmaking business
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in tangle
usually toils plural
something that catches and holds
a married woman hopelessly caught in the toils of an extramarital affair
Synonyms & Similar Words
as in to labor
to devote serious and sustained effort
toiled for many years on the mammoth outdoor sculpture
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of toil
Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025
There’s also mental health counseling to help the students deal with the emotional toil that homelessness takes.
—Debbie Daniel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2025
Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 9 July 2025
For nearly a decade, Case has also been toiling away on songs for a musical adaptation of the classic (and still relevant) 1991 film Thelma & Louise with the film’s director, Callie Khouri, who wrote the book for the show.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Noun
In the microcosm, every player, staff member, and yes, possibly even executive, has their own individual story of overcoming and toil which, on Saturday night, was realised in the glare of a thousand camera flashes.
—Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 2 June 2025
There’s also mental health counseling to help the students deal with the emotional toil that homelessness takes.
—Debbie Daniel, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 May 2025
Verb
By the final month, 1,200 workers were toiling at breakneck speed to complete the project on time — if not on budget.
—Brady MacDonald, Oc Register, 9 July 2025
For nearly a decade, Case has also been toiling away on songs for a musical adaptation of the classic (and still relevant) 1991 film Thelma & Louise with the film’s director, Callie Khouri, who wrote the book for the show.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 8 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for toil
Recent Examples of Synonyms for toil
Verb
-
My breathing was labored—short and ragged inhales, long faint exhales.—
Amie Barrodale,
Harpers Magazine,
16 July 2025
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Nobody knows what to expect from Waller, but the same can, and should be said about this Dolphins team, which has labored all offseason to course correct the team’s culture.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Verb
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The party of the president usually struggles in a midterm election like next year's race to replace Peters.—
M.L. Elrick,
Freep.com,
23 July 2025
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But AmeriCorps officials have struggled in recent years to provide financial information to auditors and have acknowledged the need for reforms.—
Dan Horn,
The Enquirer,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Even though her husband and her eldest son will one day be king, Princess Kate has strived to maintain a sense of normalcy at home.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
22 July 2025
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These dishes have to be perfect, even in their simplicity, and there’s something exciting about striving for that.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
20 July 2025
Verb
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This technique works especially well when readers are swimming in too many possibilities.—
Renae Gregoire,
Forbes.com,
16 July 2025
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During his first term in office, Trump wasn’t exactly kind to Meghan Markle, who was a working member of the royal family at the time.—
Lissete Lanuza Sáenz,
StyleCaster,
15 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Toil.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/toil. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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